Bangalore: NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) President Kiran Karnik today (Sep 12, 2004) said the debate against outsourcing in the American presidential campaign would eventually die down and economy would prevail over politics.

"The oddness of it, much of it (cry against outsourcing) is rhetoric that comes during elections. At the end of the day, in the US, economy predominates over politics", Karnik said in his keynote address at "Beyond BPO" organised by BPO firm 24/7 Customer.

"BPO industry in India will expand regardless of whether there is growth or decline in the US economy" he said during his interaction with hundreds of youngsters, both working and aspiring to be in BPO firms.

"When the economy is looking up companies get greedy and want to make more profits. In a recession, they cut costs by outsourcing. Either way it is good for us," Karnik said, adding, firms in the West were looking at outsourcing to add value and remain profitable in a competitive environment.

He dismissed remarks of the BPO sector going the "dotcom" way, and said, "I can assure you, it is very sustainable".

Karnik said the country was comfortable in both demand and supply side in terms of talent, besides the demographics favoured India over the ageing population in the developed economies and also compared to China.